Draft-rigging for railway-cars.



No. 738,365.A PATLNTLD SEPT. 15

' II. o. WILLIAMSON L II. PRILS.

DRAFT RIGGING POR RAILWAY GARS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 27, 1903.

No MODEL.

IHM

UNITED STATES Patented september 15, 1903.

PATENT QEEICE;

HENRY C. WILLIAMSON AND HERMAN PRIES, OF MICHIGAN CITY,

INDIANA.

DRAFT-HIGGINS FOR RAILWAY-CARS.

5.?ECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 738,865, dated September 15, 1903.

Application tiled March 27, 1903. Serial No. 149,901. (No model.)

.To @ZZ whom it may concern,.-

Be it known that we, HENRY C. VILLIAM- SON and HERMAN PRIES, citizens of the United States,and residents of Michigan City,county of Laporte, and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Draft-Rigging for RailwayeCars, of which the following is a specication, and which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof.

This invention relates to means for carrying the outer end of the draw-bars of a railway-car in such manner that it may swing laterally for the purpose of relieving it of lateral strain when the car is rounding a curve in the track. This lateral strain is not only objectionable because of the tendency to distort the draft-rigging itself, but it forces the cars toward the inner rail of the curve, and thereby increases the friction, and hence the wear of the wheel-iianges, dec. Heretofore the outer ends of the swinging draw-bars have been supported so as to slide upon lined chairs, and this construction has been objectionable because of the wear of the parts and the frictional resistance, causing difficulty in restoring the draw-bar to its central position-a consideration of grave importance because of the necessity of maintaining the draw-bar in proper position for coupling when the car is detached.

The invention consists,broadly,in a swing ing chair for carrying the outer end Vof the draw-bar, spring centering devices, and a movable pivot about which the draw-bar oscillates.

More specifically the invention consists in the parts and arrangement of parts hereinafter described, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a detail longitudinal vertical central section of the draft-rigging. Fig. 2 is a detail plan section of the same, and Fig. 3 is a detail transverse View showing the draftrigging in part in elevation and in 'part in section.

A pair of draftsills of a railwayfcar are shown at 10 and the end sill thereof at 11. At

2 is shown a buffer-plate applied to the front face of the crossesill; at 13, a suitably-supn ported draw-bar; at 14 14, a pair of followers; at'15 16, a pair of springs interposed between the followers, and at 17 18 a pair of cheek plates applied to the sills 10 10. All of these parts, except as hereinafter pointed out, are of well-known forni and may be varied as desired. Y

The outer end of the draw-bar is carried by a swinging chair 19, supported by a pair of links 2O 20, suspended from the buffer-plate.

As shown,these links are secured within socketed brackets 21 21, formed integral with the buffer-plate, by means of pivot-pins 22 22, held in place by cotter-pins 23 23, set through an outwardly projecting boss upon each bracket and passing through the pivot-pin. The lower ends of the links enter vertical sockets formed in the chair 19 and preferably open entirely through the same to prevent the accumulation of water and dirt therein, the links being secured to the chair by means of pivot-pins 24 24.

An extension 25 of. the tailpiece of the draw-bar is provided with an antifrictionroller 26, running freely between rearward extensions 27 28 of the cheek-'plates 17 1S, this antifriction-roller serving as the center of oscillation for the draw-bar.

A pair of plungers 29 30 reciprocate within socketed blocks 31 32, bolted to the sillll, the inner ends of the plun gers bearing against one of the ends of the chair 19. Within the socket of each of the blocks 31 there is located a coiled expansion-spring 33, which reacts between the shoulder of the plunger and the bottom of the socket so as to force the plunger against the chair. Vhile the draw-bar will tend to seek its central position by reason of gravity, the spring-plungers maintain it in its central position when the car is detached from others, preventing the draw-bar from remaining in an oblique position because of any undue friction of the parts.

Ve claim as our invention- 1. In a draft rigging, in combination, a draw-bar, and a laterally-swinging chair supporting the outer end of the draw-har.

2. In a draft-rigging, in combination, a carsill, brackets attached thereto, a pair of links swinging from the brackets, a chair suspended IOC) from the links, and a draw-bar resting upon the chair.

3. In 'a draftrigging, in combination, a draw-bar, a laterally-swinging chair supporting the outer end of the draw-bar, and springpl lingers bearing against the ends of the chair.

Il. In a draft-rigging, in Combination, a ear- 'l sill, brackets attached thereto, a pair of links swinging` from the brackets, a chair suspended from the links, a draw-bar resting upon the chair, a pair of soeketed brackets secured to the sill one at each end of the Chair, a reciprocating plungerwithin each of the last-named brackets, and an expansionspring Within eaeh bracket forcing the plunger against the chair end.

5. In a draft-rigging, in combination, a

draw-bar, a laterally-*swinging chair supporting/the outer end of the drawbar, a pair of cheek-plates, and an antifrietion-roller earried by the draw-bar at its inner end and engaging the cheek-plates.

HENRY C. WILLIAMSON. HERMAN PRIES.

Vitnesses:

THoMAs"N. KEYS, H. V. OGDEN. 

